Decorative design of a personal plot requires time and attention of a summer resident. However, not every person has such a refined sense of taste to be able to correctly arrange the individual elements into a single and harmonious composition. In today’s article, we will tell you how to independently choose decorative stones for the garden and drawings on them.
Types of stones
You can transform the territory of the garden plot by using natural materials. Composite elements made of stones look interesting and harmonious. Decorative crafts help to hide the imperfections of the relief and emphasize the aesthetic appeal of the site.
Cobblestones, large boulders, limestone rocks, pebbles and crushed stone can be used to decorate the cottage. Massive cobblestones are used to create three-dimensional compositions and sculptures, small ones – for decorative design. A garden decorated with painted stones looks more interesting, attractive and funny. For painting, it is better to use sea or coastal pebbles with a perfectly even and smooth surface. You can buy such pebbles in almost any gardening store or collect them yourself on the seashore.
Alternatively, homemade concrete boulders can be used. For the manufacture of decorative stones, you will need cement grade M-500 or M-600, coarse-grained river sand and water. Some gardeners recommend adding some clay or adhesive to the solution.
Video “Painting pebbles for garden decor”
This video provides a detailed tutorial for beginners on creating an acrylic painting on a pebble surface.
What can be done
It is interesting to decorate a garden plot with both processed and “wild” stones. The design and theme of the decorative composition are determined by the availability of time and the talent of the master. So, the following composite elements from decorative stones are very popular among summer residents:
- garden paths;
- stone prints of hands and feet;
- lawns with colorful gravel;
- sculptures of animals, insects, birds and waterfowl;
- alpine slides, flower beds and pots;
- flat installations;
- stone inscriptions and signs;
- gabions;
- artificial reservoirs.
According to experienced landscape designers, almost any idea can be realized. At the same time, the amount of time and materials spent will be minimal.
How to color
Many are interested in whether it is possible to make painted elements for decorating the territory of a personal plot with their own hands. To master the technique of painting, it is not necessary to be a talented artist.
So, in the process of work you will need tools and materials:
- acrylic paints of trade marks “Ladoga”, “Sonnet”, “Gamma”, Decora, Plaid FolkArt, etc.;
- a set of synthetic or nylon brushes for working with acrylic;
- primer, PVA glue, special agent for degreasing the surface;
- colorless varnish;
- fine-grained sandpaper.
Stones with a perfectly smooth surface are suitable for coloring. Therefore, before painting, the pebbles are treated with fine-grained sandpaper. Then it is washed with the addition of ordinary liquid soap and dried thoroughly.
Upon completion of the preparatory work, the stones selected for coloring are treated with special degreasing agents. The first layer is a primer, which allows you to hide the remaining irregularities and errors on the surface of the pebbles. The primer acts as an adhesive layer between the pebbles and the acrylic. Instead of a primer, you can use regular PVA glue.
When the primer dries well, a sketch of the future drawing is applied to the surface of the pebbles. Each element is carefully drawn with acrylic paint in several layers. At the last stage, it is recommended to outline the contours with acrylic in black, dark brown or gray. You can decorate the picture with glitter, small sparkles or decorative elements. The last fixing layer is the coating of the pattern with a colorless varnish. Stones painted with acrylic paints can be used to decorate the garden. Acrylic is resistant to ultraviolet rays and various precipitation.
Artificial or nylon brushes are suitable for painting sea and coastal pebbles. Professional brushes with a natural base leave uneven streaks on the surface of the pebbles.
The design of the picture can be chosen at your discretion. These can be colored or monochrome ornaments and patterns, drawings on a specific topic, letters, numbers and even words. Stones depicting flower arrangements, various insects, animals, birds and waterfowl are very popular among summer residents.
Do-it-yourself decorative compositions made of stones will become a real decoration of the backyard. To decorate the territory of the garden in an interesting and original way, you need to have time, desire and quite a bit of imagination.